


Herald at the Cross' Road

by lunarosewood23



Series: No Place Like Home [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: A worried mama finally hears from her daughter, Gen, Mentions of other original female characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:41:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24781741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarosewood23/pseuds/lunarosewood23
Summary: Auriella Cross didn’t expect much of anything that day. If she were honest she didn’t expect much most days. She worked and kept busy, but the hole in her heart that her daughter left when she went to gain more control of her powers all those years ago still ached every now and again.So imagine her shock and sheer hope when the Lord Commander of the Temple Knights walks into the kitchens with a letter to her from her daughter.
Series: No Place Like Home [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1864051
Kudos: 4





	Herald at the Cross' Road

**Author's Note:**

> Special shoutout to twelveswood on tumblr for her art that is in this fic. She is a gift and people should absolutely commission her. Her art is so lovely!!

Auriella lived a relatively simple life in the Foundation. She worked her shifts in the Congregation’s kitchens, tended to her home that sometimes felt too big for one person, worked on some weaving and embroidery as a hobby, and even wrote letters to her daughter.

Letters that often went unsent, mostly because she had no idea where her daughter might be.

She missed her daughter, her dearest Raven who meant the world to her and would be so thrilled to hear from but it was likely she didn’t know where she could be found.

She sighed, she didn’t want to think about this as she readied herself for the day. She quickly made her way through the markets before going to the Congregation of Our Knights Most Heavenly, smiling at the guards as she entered.

The Congregation was empty, save for the tall Hyruan blonde woman who she smiled at as she made her way down into the kitchens.

And stopped.

A Elezen man, wearing elaborate blue armor had his back to the door and he seemed to carry himself so proudly, yet seemed to shoulder a bit too much on the pauldrons of his armor.

“I request to speak with a woman who goes by the name of Auriella Cross.” He states simply, he sounded kind, though perhaps a bit stiff, as though he was expected to uphold a sense of decorum around commoners.

One of her friends, a kind but burly older hyuran male with brown hair named Thorfinn pointed behind him at her. “Behind you Ser.”

The gentleman in armor turned, and Auriella blinked, her jaw going slack.

The Lord Commander of the Temple Knights himself was here looking for her! Why?

She smoothed out her skirts nervously and gave a polite bow despite balancing the ingredients she gathered on her hip. “Y-yes Lord Commander, what would you ask of me?”

He gave her a polite smile and a respectful nod. “My lady, I have a missive for you. From Raven.” He states as he pulled a letter from a pocket in his cloak and passed it to her. Auriella heard several gasps around the room as she nearly dropped the things she had gathered from the market, had it not been for Thorfinn taking the gathered ingredients from her.

_How in the world did my daughter...?_

“Is...is she alright?” She questioned softly as she hesitantly takes the letter and recognizes her daughter’s script on the front, her heart soaring with hope.

“She is well. She is rather worried for you, with the recent attacks upon the city.” He assured. While he still seemed stiff, she saw in his eyes that he knew more than he was letting on but was asked not to say anything on the matter.

Auriella nods, still not quite believing what she was hearing or even what was happening. “S-ser I...”

“I should leave you to your work, my lady. Have care, Raven would want to see you well should she come home.” He says with a formal but still rather gentle smile and a respectful nod as he leaves, and Auriella can’t help but bow to his retreating form before looking at the sealed letter in her hands. The seal looked to be pressed with the crest of House Fortemps and the wax held a white daisy, her favorite flowers.

Thorfinn soon spoke up. “You alright there Elle? What was that about?”

“Yes, I just...I received a letter from my daughter.”

“You heard from Raven? Well I’ll be damned... We heard a few things ‘bout someone lookin’ like her and I’m proud of the lass makin’ a name for herself. Had Ishgard not closed the gates I think she’d be right back home with us after that.”

Auriella smiled at him, she had heard the rumors of a powerful black mage that looked like her daughter fighting on the Steps of Faith with her friends and allies in combat and couldn’t help but feel tears in her eyes. “I agree. I miss her so much...”

She always did mentally curse the Archbishop for his decision to close the gates seven years ago shortly after the Calamity.

“Hey now, we got this today. Go on home and see what Raven sent you. Looks like a rather thick letter.” Thorfinn urged.

Auriella shook her head. “I couldn’t possibly-”

“Auriella it’s alright. You work so hard and you deserve some time for yourself. Go on, go read what your girl sent you, just tell us all about it tomorrow. We miss her too, but as her mother, you should read her story first.” He soothed with a smile as he gave her shoulder a squeeze. 

She couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s words and nodded. “Well if you’re sure, I’ll take my leave today...but do not hesitate to fetch me if you need help do you hear me!”

Several shouts of “Yes ma’am!” echoed around the room as she gave a smile and headed back up the steps. The blonde woman seemed to be absent but the Lord Commander was there directing a few of his men and she remembered a treat she had baked with the intent to share with the staff, but she didn’t get the chance to.

She wondered how he would feel about a slice of her sweet cinnamon bread...

 _Perhaps I’ll find out later..._ She thinks to herself with a smile as she heads home, full ready to sit down with a cup of tea and read about her daughter’s adventures.

Once she arrived home, she settled in and slowly broke the seal on the letter, and with it were several pages, some were drawings of people she didn’t recognize, but it all amassed to a retelling of her daughter’s story.

_Maman,_

_Oh goodness where to begin...well if you received this that means Aymeric found you, thank the Fury! I hope you’ve been well. And I’m sorry for not writing to you. Since Ishgard closed the gates, I wasn’t quite sure if anything could go back through. Though it doesn’t help that A LOT has happened over these past seven years. I’ve only recently had time to write because of more recent events, which I will explain, but I think it’s better that I try to start at the beginning._

_Shortly after I left Ishgard, I made my way through Coerthas until the Calamity, and to be honest I thought I was going to die in the snow, but thanks to the clothes you made me I managed to get to the Shroud before the mugginess got to me and I met an Au Ra named Rukia Oronir, who bought me some better adventuring clothes and a wand to help focus my powers. She’s now one of my sisters and one of my closest friends._

Auriella looked over at the drawings and found the girl mentioned with a smile. She’s a very pretty lady, and her scales and horns are definitely something she would remember should she ever meet the dear girl.

_Rukia, after we buried an animal corpse, directed me to Ul’Dah, where the Thaumaturge’s guild was and where I could really start my adventure. Granted that took quite a while because I was on foot and I got lost several times. Rukia managed to bail me out though. She seems to always know where I am. I later learn that she’s a huntress, and a mercenary. We became friends as we traveled together for some time, and when it got time to split, I knew I had a sister before my adventure even began._

_My time as an official adventurer began when I went to Ul’Dah, and I met so many people, one being an odd gent named Thancred, a bard and a playboy. But as my adventures continued, I was lead to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, and I had a bad feeling I was gonna be in for a time. The Scions deal with finding solutions to Eorzea’s salvation, namely in dealing with the primas that the beast tribes summon, and to be completely honest, I was scared. I didn’t sign up for this, but I wanted to help and do something. Do you remember how when I was a teenager I could hear pretty music in my ears? It turns out that ability has been helping me fight those things! I can’t be turned into a faith zombie!_

Auriella had to laugh at Raven’s tone, but was worried that she might’ve gotten hurt.

_Anyway, I fought things, made some friends, and more than that, got the attention of a creepy Garlean lady and if it wasn’t for Rukia, I feel like we might’ve lost several more people than we did. But when I made it to the church where the others were supposed to meet everyone, I met Mingxia and Foulques, a pair of adventurers traveling together and we stuck together from there. I call Mingxia my sister, but Foulques is still a little intimidating. Rukia knows him, and he treats Mingxia well, so I trust him._

Auriella stopped to look at the pictures again and sees a Hyur girl with an Elezen lancer ruffling her hair, the girl had red markings on her face that looked different from things she had seen in Ishgard, or even in the Shroud.

_Eventually our travels brought me back to Coerthas, and while I was incredibly homesick, I had a job to do, and I met my other sister Serella, and it’s been the three of us pretty much since._

Once again she looked over the drawings and found Serella, heavily scarred but a beautiful Elezen lady all the same.

The three girls that Raven called her sisters she hadn't even met yet, and they were already her daughters, and she had a feeling this Foulques boy would be a son in due time.

_I eventually made my way into Camp Dragonhead, where I would proceed to make a fool of myself in front of someone I...well I found him to be incredibly attractive. Like really maman, he was gorgeous. And he still is mind you, but well..._

_Look I tripped on the war table in the main office area and landed on my face in front of the Captain of Camp Dragonhead. His name is Haurchefant Greystone de Fortemps. And he is the kindest person I've ever known._

Auriella laughed. Truly laughed, only her daughter would manage something like that.

She hopes this Haurchefant becomes someone close to her.

_We ended up saving his best friend and following that, defeated the primal and then...we went to rescue our friends that had been captured by the Garleans, and then we went on to take out a giant machine that eats primals and The Black Wolf himself._

_I still have a scar from that asshole..._

She blinked, Raven had fought so much. _So it’s true then? That Raven is a Warrior of Light?_

Her next sentence confirmed this.

_So that’s the story of how my sisters Mingxia and Serella and I became Warriors of Light._

_And let me tell you, it’s nuts._

_Mingxia, Serella and I were admonished as heroes! Though we did nothing special, we just did what we could to help people, but like this we could do more._

_I still can’t believe it landed us here._

The way she said that made Auriella's eyebrows raise in concern as the letter went on to explain the Crystal Braves, and their slow corruption by the Syndicate of Ul'dah.

_Thancred, Minfillia, Y'shtola, Yda, Papalymo...they all sacrificed themselves so my sisters could escape after the bloody banquet._

_I wish I had been there..._

_I know you're grateful I wasn't there, but I wish I had gone. Maybe then..._

_Well it doesn't matter now. We're safe in Camp Dragonhead. Haurchefant has been kind enough to keep us while we figure out a plan. He's already going to petition his father to let us into the city as wards of House Fortemps, and is going to see what he can do for us for work in the meantime, since none of us feel comfortable holding up here without earning our keep. I don't know how long that's going to take, but I hope it doesn't take too long, much as being holed up here is nice._

_I should stop rambling. The point is that I'm gonna be coming home, and hopefully soon. I'll find you when I get into the city._

_I love you mom. I'm sorry it took this long to write to you. I know you and everyone in the kitchens have been worried. But I'm safe, and I'm gonna be coming home, hopefully sooner rather than later._

_Your daughter,_

_Raven_

Auriella felt tears stinging in her eyes. She was going to come home. She didn't know when, but her daughter was coming home.

She looked around the small home that she kept with what she earned and got up after setting the letter on the table. It was clean and kept, and she held no shame in her home, but she was going to have company at some point.

She also needed to make something for the Lord Commander as thanks. She might not be able to make much, especially nothing that would be adequate to his tastes, but she hoped the gesture would be enough. Maybe even bring something to the blonde woman and the other higher ranked knight she saw in the Congregation.

She was quiet, but soon grinned. She went back out into the markets and gathered some ingredients for her chili, a treat for many of the knights that spent too many nights in freezing Coerthas. She could make some now, and gather more of the fresher ingredients later when she knew her daughter and her friends were in the city.

 _Something warm to eat after too long of a day, that should be good and hopefully appropriate._ She thinks as she starts to work. It'll take some time, she might not be able to get it to them until late in the evening, but she would ensure this got to them.

And when she found herself standing inside the doors of the Congregation with three bowls of her chili did she feel the uneasiness set in. How in the world is she supposed to approach them?? She was a commoner and a lowly kitchen maid for Fury's sake. But then again, she remembered seeing several of the knights in her halls and many of them recognized her and felt a little at ease.

She smoothed out her skirts and slowly approached the war table, where an Elezen man with brown hair and green ear cuffs stood. He looked up and gave a smile. "My lady, a pleasure." He soon sniffed the air and she saw a grin spread across his face. "I smell something delicious."

Auriella smiled. "Good evening Ser, I have some of my chili for the Lord Commander, and I made two more bowls for you and the other knight. As thanks for bringing a letter to me from my daughter." She explained as she pulled a bowl from the bag she carried and set it on the table.

The man, if she remembered correctly his name was Handeloup, grins even more, this time in delight as she hears a stomach rumble. "Thank you my lady. Ser Aymeric and Ser Lucia are in his office. I will escort you myself if you would like."

Auriella blinked but said nothing as Handeloup lead her to the elevator and into the higher parts of the Congregation.

"Do wait here ma'am." Handeloup requested as he stepped into the Seat of the Lord Commander. She took the time to smooth out her hair and skirts and _oh goodness why didn't I wear my nicer dress..._

"Ms. Cross?"

She jumped a little as she slowly squared her shoulders and strode in with her head high into the office, where Sers Aymeric and Lucia were waiting at the desk and Ser Handeloup at the side watching with a smile.

"Ahh Lady Auriella, a pleasure to see you." Aymeric greeted with a polite smile. "What brings you here this evening?"

Auriella took a deep breath before giving a smile as she set her bag on the edge of the desk and revealed two bowls of her homemade chili.

"I came because I wished to give thanks and show my appreciation for you delivering the letter from my daughter. I've not heard from Raven in seven years, it brings my heart a sort of peace I hadn't felt in so long. I miss my girl terribly and often I was frightened I would hear news that she would not come home. I know this isn't much, but I hope you'll accept my gift of gratitude." She explains softly as she gently pushes the two bowls to the knights and smiles when she hears two stomachs growl in hunger.

She watches Aymeric, who coughs to cover the blush spreading across his cheeks from embarrassment before giving a smile. "How kind of you to bring this. I do admit, I've scarcely a moment to eat recently, and it has been far too long since I have had this my lady. My thanks."

She beams as she looks to Lucia, the woman eyeing the bowl curiously before giving a polite smile. “You needn't have, but thank you.”

Auriella gave a cheerful smile. “My pleasure. It may not be made of expensive and fancy ingredients, but it fills the belly and warms the body, most of the knights in the barracks are fond of it, especially after too many cold nights in the highlands.”

She soon saw the chronometer and bit her lip. "Oh goodness I should've realized the time. The three of you are so busy, I should leave. Thank you again Ser."

She turns to leave when the four hear a polite knock. A knight, one who carried a wand rushed into the room. "Ser! Ser Haurchefant has entered the city, escorting a party of six!"

Auriella gasped, tears springing to her eyes as she covered her mouth. She turns to Ser Aymeric and he nods with a smile, his eyes very clearly saying "Go see your daughter."

And with that, she bolts out the door and hurried out of the Congregation.

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope everyone enjoyed this fic!! Y'all can find out more about Raven (ravencrossffxiv) and Rukia (rukioronirffxiv) on their respective blogs and come yell at me on my main blog (lunarosewood23)!!


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